For our New Year's Eve dinner, the three of us made braised fish, cold pork head meat salad, sweet and sour radish balls, cold wood ear mushroom salad, and stewed a whole chicken. Since there were only three of us eating, we didn't make much to avoid waste.
We eat dumplings on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day morning. While the chicken and fish were stewing, Zhuang Zhimeng and the other two made dumplings with sauerkraut and tofu filling, and also added some cured meat.
Su Mengmeng even brought over a bottle of wine and poured herself a small glass. "Boss, Xiazi, are you two drinking?"
"I won't drink!"
"I won't drink either!"
Zhuang Zhimeng and Jiang Yanxia both shook their heads and refused. Su Mengmeng saw that neither of them wanted to drink, so she didn't force them and drank by herself.
Zhuang Zhimeng brewed a pot of tea and poured a cup for herself and Jiang Yanxia.
Before starting the New Year's Eve dinner, Su Mengmeng raised her glass to Zhuang Zhimeng and said, "Boss, let me toast you first."
“Okay!” Zhuang Zhimeng raised her teacup and clinked glasses with him.
Jiang Yanxia also raised her teacup: "Zhimeng, I'd like to toast you too."
Zhuang Zhimeng also clinked glasses with her.
Zhuang Zhimeng raised her glass again: "Let's clink glasses together."
Jiang Yanxia and Su Mengmeng both raised their glasses, and the three of them clinked them together.
While eating her New Year's Eve dinner, Jiang Yanxia suddenly sighed, "Zhimeng, I'm so envious that they can take leave to go home. I miss home!"
Her family sent her some sesame paste candy, golden rooster biscuits, and red shrimp crisp candy. She shared some with Zhuang Zhimeng and Su Mengmeng. Seeing the New Year's Eve dinner reminded Jiang Yanxia of her home.
Seeing that she was a little sad, Zhuang Zhimeng tried to distract her, "Eat some food. There's so much delicious food. If you don't eat, Meng Ge'er and I will finish it all."
Su Mengmeng chimed in, "Exactly! Why not just go all out and have some fun instead of being sentimental?"
Jiang Yanxia saw Su Mengmeng about to pick up a piece of meat that Su Mengmeng had her eye on, and quickly retorted, "You're the one who's being sentimental! Put that piece of meat down, that's the one I've got my eye on."
"Is this the piece?" Su Mengmeng deliberately stuffed the piece of meat that Jiang Yanxia pointed to into her mouth, and didn't forget to smack her lips at her, chewing with gusto.
"Zhimeng, look at Mengge'er!"
Zhuang Zhimeng placed another piece of meat in her bowl, saying, "Eat this piece, it has more meat!"
Jiang Yanxia smiled at Zhuang Zhimeng: "Zhimeng is better, unlike someone else!"
Su Mengmeng raised an eyebrow at Jiang Yanxia triumphantly, and Jiang Yanxia glared at him.
Zhuang Zhimeng smiled and lowered her head to eat her food.
Su Mengmeng's witty remarks made Jiang Yanxia forget her homesickness.
A few days ago, Lin Jianhua told Zhuang Zhimeng and the other two that they would go to the educated youth settlement for a get-together on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, because some of them had asked for leave to visit their families before the New Year, and he and Wang Lihong were going home for the New Year this year.
Speaking of homesickness, Zhuang Zhimeng also misses home; she's been in the countryside for over three months now.
The staff quarters of the Beijing Iron and Steel Plant.
Zhuang Xingzhou's family was also having their New Year's Eve dinner when Hao Caiyun suddenly became sentimental: "Yaya has gone to the countryside, and Zhiwu can't come back for the New Year this year either. The New Year is getting more and more lonely!"
Zhuang Xingzhou took it all in stride, saying, "You have to look on the bright side. Zhiwu is about to go to someone else's house. If all goes well, they might get married. Maybe they'll even have a big, healthy baby in the next year or the year after. Then you'll be a grandma again, and I'll be a grandpa again. How wonderful!"
Zhuang Zhiwen also advised, "Yes, Mom, your second brother is getting married soon, you should be happy!"
"Of course I'm happy, it's just that I'm getting old and it's inevitable that I'll suddenly feel sentimental! It's not a big deal though. I guess I'll have to start preparing for Zhiwu's wedding next year, and Yaya's engagement is also coming up."
Zhuang Xingzhou and Zhuang Zhiwen both nodded.
Hao Caiyun didn't even need to say anything; Wang Xiaoman was already thinking about it herself. "Mom, I'll keep an eye out for fabrics for you. We'll let you know when we get some suitable ones from our factory."
"OK!"
Zhuang Xingzhou picked up a slice of red sausage and said to Hao Caiyun as he ate, "The red sausage that Ya Ya sent this time tastes pretty good. I gave some to the old man before, and he said it was good too!"
"It's really good, even better than the ones we brought back from our last trip to Northeast China."
"Maybe it's a different variety of red sausage; even the packaging looks different!"
"Then next time I'll write to Ya Ya and ask her to buy some more, just this kind."
"good!"
Pingping overheard her grandparents talking about her aunt and remembered the toys Zhuang Zhimeng had sent them. "Grandma, we should write to Auntie next time too. The toys she sent us are really fun, and we should thank her."
"Okay, then you write the letter and give it to me, and I'll send it to your aunt together, okay?"
Pingping and An'an said in unison, "Okay, Grandma!"
After the New Year's Eve dinner, the brigade cadres came to the educated youth settlement to express their concern and care. They also made a special trip to Zhuang Zhimeng's place to visit the three of them, and gave them some affirmation and encouragement before leaving.
After the brigade cadres left, An Qingbai came to find Zhuang Zhimeng after having his New Year's Eve dinner. It was already very lively outside, with the sound of firecrackers going off everywhere.
Zhuang Zhimeng and the other two were getting ready to go out and set off firecrackers when An Qingbai arrived, so they set off firecrackers together.
Zhuang Zhimeng handed the matches in her hand to An Qingbai: "Brother Qingbai, you light the fire!"
"OK!"
An Qingbai took the match and lit the fuse of the firecracker.
Zhuang Zhimeng and Jiang Yanxia covered their ears and stepped back. The four of them watched the firecrackers explode with excitement, accompanied by a series of crackling sounds and four young smiling faces.
Su Mengmeng excitedly shouted, "It's Chinese New Year!"
Jiang Yanxia also shouted, "Happy Chinese New Year!"
Zhuang Zhimeng and An Qingbai held hands, smiled at each other, and couldn't help but shout, "Happy New Year!"
After setting off the firecrackers and returning indoors, Su Mengmeng was going to perform a show for everyone.
He went home and got his harmonica, then played a tune for Zhuang Zhimeng and the other two. It was surprisingly good, and he played it quite well.
At this moment, Su Mengmeng gave people a different feeling than usual, and he was quite cool.
After he finished playing the flute, he bowed and said, "I've made a fool of myself."
Zhuang Zhimeng and the other two applauded, and Zhuang Zhimeng couldn't help but praise him: "You played it well, I didn't expect you to have this talent, Meng-ge'er!"
An Qingbai also praised, "Mengmeng's praise is quite good; she has that artistic youth vibe."
"I know a lot more! You'll get to know me gradually in the future."
"Zhimeng, Brother An, please stop praising him. Look at him, he's practically wagging his tail!"
"I know you're envious that I was praised by the boss and Brother An, so why don't you perform a little something?"
Jiang Yanxia retorted, "Fine, I'll sing you a song!"
"Great!" Su Mengmeng clapped loudly.
Zhuang Zhimeng and An Qingbai also looked at her expectantly, as they had never heard her sing before.
Jiang Yanxia stood up and started singing a folk song from her hometown. Her voice was pure and beautiful.
After she finished singing, Su Mengmeng gave her a thumbs up: "Wow, Xiazi, I underestimated you!"
Zhuang Zhimeng and An Qingbai also clapped, "That was beautiful!"
Jiang Yanxia smiled shyly, "I'm glad you like it!"
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